Alcoholism Sourcebook
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\ From The CriticsReviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services)\ Description: This book provides basic consumer information about the use and abuse of alcohol among people from adolescents to older adults. It is a fairly broad-based look at the psychological, physical, and social health effects of alcohol addiction. It is full of relevant information (73 chapters) for the general public. The first edition was published in 2000.\ Purpose: According to the editor in the preface, this book "presents comprehensive information about the use and misuse of alcohol among men, women, youth, and seniors, and it describes the effects of alcohol exposure on fetal development. The physical and emotional problems associated with alcohol dependency and alcohol's impact on family relationships, work, and society are discussed. A section on treatment describes medications and recovery programs." This volume is part of the Health Reference Series, which provides medical information for the general reader.\ Audience: This book, as well as the series, is designed for general readers. It is well written for the audience for which it is intended.\ Features: This is a comprehensive look (in terms of number of subjects addressed) at the adverse effects of alcohol on people of all ages. The eight parts cover facts about alcohol use and abuse; preventing alcohol abuse, dependence, and alcohol-related injuries; physical effects of alcohol; alcohol use during pregnancy and its effect on fetal development; mental health problems associated with alcohol use; effects of alcohol on family, work, and society; treatment and recovery from alcohol dependence; and additional help and information. This book is extremely easy to read and useful because it addresses so many topics. The last two chapters contain good resources including a directory of government and private resources that provide information about alcoholism and state substance abuse agencies. The only shortcoming is that the chapters are rather short, resulting in somewhat superficial discussion, but this is the cost of trying to address so many subject areas. However, it is important for the general public to get a sense of what the important issues are.\ Assessment: This book is full of useful information regarding alcoholism for the general public. It serves to whet the reader's appetite to continue learning using other resources. It is practical, easy to read, and enlightening, and is the first book a lay person should consult to learn about alcoholism. This update justifies replacing the first edition because much new information has been discovered in the past six years on this problem that affects so many families in the United States.\ \
